254 MATUKU ISLAND. 



reef, which is about i6 miles in circumference. The highest 

 peak is about 1,200 feet in height. I cHmbed to the top of 

 this peak. From the summit the island was seen to consist of 

 a single crater, the edge of which had been denuded and cut 

 into a series of fantastic peaks, with intervening steep sided 

 gullies. The ancient crater itself now forms the harbour, the 

 inlet to which is through an opening in the girdling reef, at a 

 spot where the border of the crater 'has been broken down. The 

 surface of the irregular hills showed the peculiar sharp angled 

 ridges so characteristic of volcanic cones denuded by pluvial 

 action. 



The windward side of the main peak was precipitous, and 

 covered with thick vegetation, whilst the leeward side was 

 open, covered only with grass and Pandanus trees. I was 

 uncertain whether this condition was due to clearing by the 

 natives or to the greater access of moisture from the trade wind 

 on the windward side. Seemann describes such a condition 

 produced by aspect, as common to all the Fiji Islands. There 

 are however dense patches of wood here and there on the lee- 

 ward side also of the crater in Matuku, and it may be that all 

 the grass-covered area has been cleared at some time for culti- 

 vation, the island being too small and low to vary much in 

 atmospheric conditions. 



At all events the most prominent feature in the appearance 

 of the vegetation of Matuku, is the contrast of the light green 

 open grass slopes with the dark patches of wood. The grass 

 is high and reedy, and very tiring to force one's way through, 

 as are also the wooded tracts. Through these latter a road 

 had to be cleared with the knife. In some places the grass 

 had been fired by the natives, as a preliminary to cultivation. 



The view from the summit of the island was most interest- 

 ing as well as beautiful. We stood on what is now the highest 

 point of the edge of the weathered crater. Beneath, on the 

 one side, a steep slope led down to a narrow tract of flat land 

 bordering the sea. This was partly open and swampy, covered 

 with sedges and ferns, and with Pandanus trees dotted about 

 over it, and partly covered with groves of cocoanut trees. On 

 the other side, a vertical precipice, terminating in a similar 

 steep slope, led down into the crater itself 



The cliff and internal slope of the crater were covered with 

 thick and tangled wood, amongst which grew, even close to the 

 summit, a few cocoanut palms, and one or two trees of the 

 palm called " Niu Sawa " by the natives {Kentia exorhiza). 



All round the island, except for a very short interval at the 

 entrance to the harbour, was a circling zone of white breakers, 

 marking the position of the barrier reef. The zone was 



